Mulayam has cheated minorities: Beni Prasad Verma

Lucknow: Showing no signs of relenting in his tirade against ruling Samajwad Party, Union minister Beni Prasad Verma on Saturday alleged the party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has "cheated minorities" and had a tacit understanding with the BJP.

The Gonda MP alleged that there was an understanding between Mulayam and BJP leader LK Advani in 1998 due to which the SP supremo was able to form government in UP in 2003 in spite of having only 135 MLAs.

"In 1998, when Atal Behari Vajpayee`s government fell by one vote, he (Mulayam) had promised to support Sonia Gandhi.

"Later in the night, he had a talk with Advani at Jaya Jaitely`s residence...There Mulayam asked Advani that he will not make effort to form the government, and in return the BJP leader asked him not to support Sonia and it was decided."

Beni claimed that Advani in his book has written that he would thank Mulayam that he followed his advice and later got five years term.

"As a reward, he (Mulayam) became the Chief Minister again in 2003. He had only 135 MLAs, Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and Vishnu Kant Shastri was the Governor...Can a person having 135 MLAs could form a government in UP without the support of the ruling party," he alleged.

Beni alleged that it was his political analysis that Mulayam had always cheated minorities.

The Congress leader also said that he was a minister at the time when a firing was ordered on `karsewaks` at disputed Babri structure in Ayodhya.

Beni said that on the the night of October 29, Mulayam called him and asked to stop `karsewaks` marching towards Ayodhya from Barabanki.

"How did Ahsok Singhal reached Ayodhya on October 30 noon, how slogans were raised, how two youths reached the top of the mosque and on whose order firing was done," he questioned.

Beni claimed that on that day he was in regular touch with Mulayam and the then ADG law and order, who was in-charge of the security.

He said that how Singhal reached Ayodhya is not known yet.
"Singhal was sent there," he alleged.

Beni alleged that in reality, Babri mosque was not saved but the government of the then Prime Minister VP Singh was pulled down.

"He (Mulayam) had relationship with BJP at that time also. BJP too wanted to pull down VP Singh, he had to resign from the post of PM," he said.

On his recent statement that SP would win only four seats in the Lok Sabha elections he said that he was "forced to speak".

"I said that SP would get four seats after Mulayam`s statement," Beni said.
"My political analysis is that he will win only four seats in area around Etawah. It is my appeal to Congress that it should contest on all 80 seats, we will definitely win 40," he said.

On being asked whether he would apologise again, the Union minister said his life was dedicated to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress and would do whatever they say.